The Bloghttp://www.chrismurphy.com/
enCopyright 20132013-04-11T15:18:41+00:00Sometimes issues find youhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/sometimes-an-issue-finds-you/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/sometimes-an-issue-finds-you/The following is an email Chris sent to supporters shortly after finishing his Maiden Speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday April 10, 2013.

Earlier today, I made my maiden speech on the floor of the United States Senate.

When I was elected, I never would have guessed the speech would be about guns or gun violence. I could have never imagined it'd be about 26 dead kids and teachers in our corner of the world.

But sometimes issues find you.

Despite overwhelming support for change, passing common sense solutions like limiting magazine sizes and banning a small number of assault weapons too dangerous for retail sale appears like it will be an uphill battle.

A big reason for that is because Members of Congress have been listening to the wrong people. Congress thinks that the NRA speaks for gun owners, when they really don't any longer.

And that's why I ignore people like David Keane, the President of the NRA, who dismiss the effect of the laws we are debating this week. He said, a month ago, that all we are talking about is "feel good" legislation.

Well, he's right about that.

It would feel really good if Daniel Barden got on the bus this morning to go to school. Daniel was an immensely compassionate kid. He always sat next to the kids sitting alone at school. He never failed to turn off a light. When the family would leave the supermarket, they'd be halfway across the parking lot and they'd look back and Daniel was still holding the door open for shoppers.

It would feel really good if Ana Marquez Greene could still sing that song she loved. She sang and performed wherever she was. He parents said she never walked anywhere - her preferred mode of transportation was dance. And she loved most to sing and dance in church.

And It would feel really good if Benjamin Wheeler got to enjoy this beautiful spring day outside today. He was a piano virtuoso, but he really loved just running around outside playing soccer with his big brother Nate. He told his mom the morning of the shooting that he wanted to be a paleontologist when he grew up, "because that's what Nate was going to be, and I want to do everything Nate does."

In the next weeks, our task is to beat back the naysayers who say we can't, or won't, change the way things are. That we can't do anything about the thousands of Americans who are killed by guns.

But I believe we can.

Thank you for standing with me in this fight.

Chris]]>2013-04-11T14:18:41+00:00Another loss for the NRAhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/another-loss-for-the-nra/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/another-loss-for-the-nra/Last night, another NRA-backed candidate lost a contested congressional election.

It's just the latest in a long line of defeats for the National Rifle Association, and their first since losing almost every one of their priority contests in 2012.

This is important because as early as this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is going to begin voting on actual legislation to reduce gun violence in the United States. And for a long time, the perception has been that crossing the gun lobby could lead to electoral problems.

Sign my petition letting members of the U.S. Senate know that you'll stand with them if they're attacked by the NRA for casting a vote for universal background checks, limiting magazine capacity, and an assault weapons ban.

Things are about to heat up in this debate. I'll be in touch as the timeline for legislation gets a bit more clear.

Best,

Chris Murphy]]>2013-02-27T22:03:44+00:00Video: Talking about Newtownhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/video-talking-about-newtown/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/video-talking-about-newtown/After spending four days in Newtown, I returned to Washington, D.C. on Monday to start the conversation about how to make sure tragedies like the one in Newtown never happen again.

I spoke on the House floor about the acts of courage that took place in Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday, and the thousands of individual acts of humanity that have happened since then.

I wanted to share my speech with you. You can watch it here:

]]>2012-12-19T21:29:16+00:00Standing with Newtownhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/standing-with-newtown/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/standing-with-newtown/Below is an email Chris sent out to supporters raising money for the United Way of Western Connecticut - Staff

Something horrible and unexplainable happened in Newtown on Friday. I've been there almost non-stop since Friday morning, and there are simply no words to express the grief that our friends and neighbors there are experiencing right now.

Today, Newtown is grieving. But Newtown is already recovering too. Every day since Friday I have witnessed hundreds of individual acts of humanity as the people of this small town reach out, with full hearts, to each other.

And we have our role to play too. I know that those on the outside, watching the events unfold, can feel a sense of helplessness. This feeling has caused so many people to ask me, "what can I do to help?"

Well, if you've been looking to do something - anything - to support the community in Newtown, consensus is that a contribution to the United Way of Western Connecticut is the best way to help. The United Way is collecting funds, right now, to help provide resources to the community throughout the coming weeks and months.

I just made my contribution, and if you are moved to join me you can do the same here:

While Newtown grieves, the most important thing we can do for them today is to make sure they know Connecticut, and the rest of the country, supports them.

Thanks in advance for your kindness.

Chris

]]>2012-12-17T15:27:36+00:00Transitioning to the Senatehttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/transitioning-to-the-senate/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/transitioning-to-the-senate/As we all pause to take stock of the things we're thankful for this Thanksgiving, your support is right near the top of my list.

I'm back in Connecticut with my family for the week, but I recorded a short video before I left D.C. about my transition to the Senate. You can watch it below:

]]>2012-11-19T16:46:08+00:00How we wonhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/how-we-won/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/how-we-won/Just before Labor Day, Quinnipiac University released a poll showing Linda McMahon with a three point lead in our U.S. Senate race.

Weeks later, we won by more than twelve points.

A lot of people have asked me just how we did it, so I wanted to share the story with our friends of how focus, organizing, and grassroots support propelled us to victory on November 6th.

A Focus on Key Constituencies Over the last two months of the campaign, we stressed several major differences between Linda McMahon and Chris.

Of course, the most important issue of the election was jobs: too many of our neighbors don't have one and many who do aren't paid well enough. Every opportunity we had, we contrasted Linda's "plan" with Chris's actual record putting people to work in Connecticut. Then we hammered home Linda McMahon's support for the Blunt Amendment that would deny women access to affordable reproductive care. Finally, Linda McMahon's comments about "sunsetting" Social Security at a Tea Party rally were also a critical piece of our messaging.

So, did it work? Take a look at these exit poll numbers and compare them to the August 28th Q-Poll results in parentheses.

Those making under $30,000: 71% to 26% advantage (49-44 lead for McMahon) Women: 60% to 39% advantage (50-46 lead for Chris) Seniors: 56% to 42% advantage (48-48 tie among those 55+)

The shift in these numbers more than accounted for the margin of victory on November 6th. Without any one of them, it's a much closer race -- without two of them, there would have been a different winner.

Debates that Made a Difference On October 7th, Chris and Linda met in their first debate of the fall campaign, and for the first time, voters got to see the clear differences between Chris and Linda - both with respect to their ideas and their depth of knowledge. Political observers agreed that Chris won the first debate hands down, and over the next several weeks, Chris continued to outclass McMahon at the three other October debates. Our internal polls suggested that a very large percentage of likely voters watched one of more of these debates, and it wasn't just a coincidence that soon after the first few debates were complete, polls showed us with our first consistent lead of the fall.

The Largest Grassroots Political Campaign Connecticut Has Ever Seen How do you beat $50,000,000? We put together the largest, most aggressive grassroots operation Connecticut has ever seen. The numbers in the home stretch of the campaign are absolutely staggering:

In the final four days of the campaign, 2,000 volunteers made 650,000 calls and knocked on 175,000 doors across the state. Yes, you read that right -- 175,000 doors. And on Election Day alone, we made over 400,000 phone calls and hit 75,000 doors.

Our field effort used sophisticated micro-targeting techniques to make sure that the conversations we were having with individuals were ones that were relevant to them. And our "pull operation" on Election Day made sure that we were not just delivering voters to the polls, but that they were Chris Murphy voters.

Our online, grassroots fundraising operation helped us to raise what we needed to raise in order to be competitive with Linda McMahon. We received $4.5 million dollars in contributions through the website, ActBlue, and from the support of organizations like DailyKos and MoveOn.org. That total represented 64,704 contributions at an average size of $69.58. Those numbers accounted for almost 45% of the total money raised by the campaign. That's grassroots.

All total, 78,405 individual contributions accounted for over $10.5 million for an average contribution of $133.90. Over 5,000 retirees contributed to the campaign and 2,000-plus individuals who were unemployed put their faith in Chris via their contribution.

And we were good stewards of that money. At the end of the day, our campaign spent an average of $12.88 per vote -- a tremendous ratio in race where the other side spent almost $50 million.

What Now? Chris is now immersed in his work both as a House member during the lame duck session and as a Senator-elect. As we go through this exciting transition, we know we could have NEVER pulled off this win without you. It was a victory for Connecticut, and you made it happen. But your job isn't done yet - Chris will need your help to be a great Senator for Connecticut. Stay tuned for how you can continue to help!

Over the past two years, we built the largest grassroots network of support Connecticut has ever seen in a statewide campaign.

Almost 70,000 individual contributions helped provide the resources we needed to keep it close on the air, and thousands of volunteers across the state delivered today's margin of victory on the ground.

But tonight's result is not the end of the campaign, it's beginning of a conversation I hope to continue with you throughout my time as a United States Senator.

As you watch the results come in from other races across the country, take a minute to share the hopes you have for the next few years at the link below:

I could not be more thankful for your support throughout this campaign.

From the thousands of individuals living paycheck to paycheck who sacrificed to give $5, $10, and $20, to the college students who volunteered between classes -- your support has humbled me and I will remember it with every vote I cast in the Senate.

I'll be in touch and I hope to hear from you soon.

Chris

]]>2012-11-07T02:31:10+00:00Volunteer in the final pushhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/volunteer-in-the-final-push/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/volunteer-in-the-final-push/Over the last few months, we've asked you to step up and volunteer your time and energy quite a few times. And with your help, we've built the largest grassroots organization in Connecticut's history.

Together, we've been able to fight back against McMahon's millions.

With only a few days left, we need your help again. This is our final push - and we can't run an effective get out the vote operation without you.

We're running phone banks and canvasses within 15 minutes of almost every town and city in Connecticut. Can we count on you to sign up one more time to help ensure our victory on the sixth?

We're organizing our Election Night party now, and we'll make sure to share the details first with everyone who volunteers over the next few days.

At the end of the day, we'll never forget that while McMahon has her millions, we have you.

]]>2012-11-03T17:00:05+00:00When talking to friends, help fight the smearshttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/when-talking-to-friends-help-fight-the-smears/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/when-talking-to-friends-help-fight-the-smears/As you talk to your friends and family about why they should vote for Chris Murphy, make sure you have the real facts to combat the lies McMahon has been flooding the airwaves with.

Chris Murphy’s Fighting to Protect Medicare From Linda McMahon and Her Republican Allies

While Chris has fought to protect Medicare from Congressional Republicans, McMahon has admitted to being “on the same page” as Paul Ryan, the man who would turn Medicare into a voucher program. Click here to learn more.

No matter how many times McMahon lies about Chris and his record of supporting Medicare, the fact remains that Chris has voted to strengthen Medicare. According to dozens of independent fact checkers, McMahon’s attacks are false, and Murphy’s vote simply did NOT cut Medicare. It actually strengthened the program. Click here to learn more.

Defense manufacturing employees and Congressman Joe Courtney agree: Murphy has been a leader in supporting Connecticut’s defense industry. Murphy has defended Connecticut’s role as the manufacturer of F-35 engines and supported the state’s submarine manufacturing. His “Buy American” legislation – which McMahon doesn’t support – would protect defense manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, and Murphy opposed sequestration which includes automatic defense cuts. Finally, even on of McMahon's fellow Republicans has called McMahon “beyond amateur” on defense issues. Click here to learn more.

Despite McMahon’s Lies, Chris Murphy Has a Jobs Plan to Create Good Paying Jobs for Connecticut’s Working Families

Contrary to McMahon’s claims, Murphy has a plan to create good paying jobs for Connecticut’s working families. His jobs plan is based on these ideas: simplifying the tax code, promoting and strengthening American manufacturing, reinvesting in our transportation infrastructure, making education a priority, and leading the way in renewable energy. Click here to learn more.

McMahon’s Tax Plan: Tax Cuts For the Rich

Fuzzy math and TV ads can’t mask this: not only would McMahon’s tax plan give herself a $7 million tax cut, but she would also shift the tax burden to the middle class. Click here to learn more.

McMahon’s Tax Plan: Not a Plan for Connecticut Jobs

McMahon touts her “Jobs Plan” every chance she can get, but the reality is that independent analysis has shown that her plan is nothing more than the same old copy-and-pasted right-wing policies that crashed our economy. Independent analysts have said that McMahon’s plan would cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires like herself while hurting the middle class and failing to create jobs. A UConn economist said McMahon’s plan would most likely require the elimination of middle-class tax deductions, leading to higher taxes for the middle-class, and it would increase the national debt. Click here to learn more.

Get the Facts About McMahon’s Extreme Right Wing Positions on Women’s Health Issues

McMahon claims to be pro-choice, but she supports extreme right-wing positions on women’s health. For instance, McMahon has said she would allow hospitals to deny emergency contraception to rape victims. McMahon’s position is out-of-step with the state of Connecticut as nearly 80% of registered voters support Connecticut’s law requiring health care providers to provide emergency contraception to rape victims. On this important issue, McMahon has shown she would kowtow to the most extreme elements of the Republican Party in the U.S. Senate. Click here to learn more.

McMahon claims that she is a job creator, but her record shows that she is only out for herself, putting her own profits before the well being of her employees. In 2009, McMahon’s WWE accepted $10 million in tax credits intended to create jobs in the state. Instead of creating jobs, McMahon laid off 10% of her WWE workforce that very same year. McMahon even admitted that the layoffs were intended to increase her company’s profits. McMahon was certainly accurate in that respect, as she and her husband took home $46 million from WWE in 2009. Click here to learn more.

Get the Facts About McMahon’s Extreme Support For “Sunsetting” Social Security

McMahon now claims she would be a champion for Social Security, but when she spoke to tea partiers behind closed doors, she told them she believed in a sunset provision for Social Security which would end this important program that hundreds of thousands of Americans have earned and rely upon. Click here to learn more.

McMahon’s Extreme Plan Would Dramatically Slash Supports for the Nation’s Most Vulnerable

McMahon’s budget plan calls for slashing funds for almost every government program, including many programs that thousands of Connecticut residents rely on. In fact, according to projections by economists, her plan would eliminate funding for important programs entirely in the next few years – including Medicaid health insurance programs for children and low-income families, food stamps, home heating assistance, and unemployment insurance. The extreme cuts would gut the safety net that working families going through hard times rely upon to get back on their feet. Click here to learn more.

Chris Murphy Is Supported by Women’s Groups Across Connecticut, Because of His Strong Support for Women’s Rights

Women’s groups across Connecticut have endorsed Chris Murphy, highlighting his “strong commitment” to policies like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act that would help women earn the same amount as their male counterparts, and his “leadership” in supporting women’s reproductive rights and women’s health issues. Chris has also received 100% life-time ratings from NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Click here to learn more.

Women’s groups across Connecticut and across the country have criticized McMahon for supporting anti-choice policies, including the Blunt Amendment, which would allow women’s bosses to deny them insurance coverage for important health services, including birth control. Click here to learn more.

Experts and Editorial Boards Across Connecticut Agree: McMahon’s “Special Interest” Mortgage Attacks Are “Nonsense” With “No Evidence” To Support Them

Every independent expert who has looked at McMahon’s attacks on Chris Murphy and his family – claiming they received a “special interest” mortgage – has found the attacks to be false and without evidence. The truth is that Chris got the same treatment as anyone else walking into their neighborhood bank. Editorial boards, independent experts, and the bank itself have all reached same conclusion: McMahon’s attacks are completely false and have no evidence to support them. Click here to learn more.

]]>2012-11-02T21:00:55+00:00Resources for the stormhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/resources-for-the-storm/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/resources-for-the-storm/

Hopefully by now you've taken all the necessary steps to prepare yourself for Sandy's arrival. But just in case, I wanted to make sure you had a few resources, which include actions you should consider taking before, during, and after the storm.

First, Governor Malloy set up a website with the latest news and preparedness tips. Visit it here:

You've seen the polls, so you know this election is going to be very close. Double check that you are registered to vote in Connecticut, and if you aren't please make sure you do before the end of the day on Tuesday, October 30th.

]]>2012-10-27T15:36:22+00:00Women Senators join Team Murphyhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/women-senators-join-team-murphy/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/women-senators-join-team-murphy/Yesterday, Senators Barbara Mikulski (MD), Mary Landrieu (LA), and Jeanne Shaheen (NH) as well as Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards came to hold a rally for Team Murphy in Hartford. They talked about Chris's strong record fighting for women's healthcare, fair pay legislation, and stronger violence against women laws. Senator Mikulski did a great job firing up the crowd, and we wanted to make sure to share that video!

With less than two weeks left, we need your help to make sure to keep our momentum going! You can sign up to join the campaign at www.chrismurphy.com/volunteer.

Today, Chris stopped at Jonal Labs in Meriden to talk about his Buy American plan to create jobs and to bring into stark relief the contrast between his policies and the plan McMahon copied and pasted from right-wing leaders.

This site was the perfect place to demonstrate how American manufacturing is the key to our economic recovery - with 70 employees, they build components for everything from jet engines to spacesuits - as their business is strong and growing. As Marc Nemeth, CEO, pointed out, they have to compete not only with other American companies, but foreign companies as well - even for contracts from the US Government. He applauded Chris's Buy American initiative as a real way to ensure federal tax dollars go to creating jobs here rather than overseas.

Check out Chris's remarks from the event in the video above, and learn more about Chris's plan to create jobs here.

Standing with supporters in Bushnell Park in Hartford yesterday, Chris highlighted Republican Linda McMahon's extreme right wing positions on women's health issues and called for an honest debate on this critical issue and so many others that matter to middle class families across Connecticut, and for a stop to the lies and smears that Linda is hiding behind.

Chris has the support of women throughout Connecticut - many of whom were on hand yesterday - because he has spent his career standing up with them when it comes to issues like choice, access to birth control, and strengthening violence against women legislation.

McMahon, on the other hand, has repeatedly indicated that she would instead stand with the extreme, anti-choice leadership in the Senate - including when that means voting for a bill that would limit women's access to contraception or voting to repeal legislation that ensures health insurers can't treat gender as a pre-existing condition.

At the event, women from around Connecticut talked about the profoundly negative impact Linda McMahon's extreme, right-wing policies would have on women. Denying access to insurance-covered contraception to women means that McMahon is indeed anti-choice, they argued, and that access to adequate health care is a vital economic issue for many women in Connecticut.

Hopefully, over the next six weeks, Linda McMahon will be willing to have a real debate with Chris - and an honest discussion with Connecticut voters - about her policies. In the meantime, she'll continue flooding the airwaves with her negative attacks. Your help is vital to our ability to fight back - you can sign up to get involved at www.chrismurphy.com/volunteer.

McMahon’s support for the extreme Blunt Amendment, the degradation and demeaning of women while she was CEO at WWE, and her desire to repeal healthcare reforms which have helped women across the country gain access to preventative care prove that she is the wrong choice for women, and all citizens, of Connecticut.

“She’s going to deny access to all kinds of health care,” said Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman. “She’s pledged to overturn the law that would allow mammograms to be covered under preventative care. She’s pledged to overturn the law that prohibits childbirth from being considered a pre-existing condition. She’s pledged to overturn the law that prevents insurance companies from raising rates on women, simply because they’re women…McMahon’s spokesman yesterday said he believes that women in Connecticut see themselves in Linda McMahon. My response to that is anyone who thinks Linda McMahon represents a typical Connecticut woman trying to hold down a job and raise a family in Connecticut, in this economy, just doesn’t get it. The women in Connecticut are not going to vote for a woman just because she’s a woman.”

Shannon Lane of NARAL expressed similar sentiments.

“I am here today because Linda McMahon is telling the people of Connecticut that she is pro-choice and the evidence does not back up that statement,” added Lane, board member of NARAL Connecticut. “Linda McMahon says that she would support the Blunt amendment. This is an effort by the anti-choice leadership of the United States Senate to allow an employer anywhere in the country to opt out of any coverage requirements of the Affordable Care Act…making sure that women who already have limited choices for health care have even fewer choices does not make you pro choice. Linda McMahon would vote for the anti-choice, anti-women leadership of the United States Senate who want to turn the clock back to the 1950s."

Board member of the National Organization for Women, Jacqueline Kozin, emphasized McMahon’s history with WWE as proof that she is a poor fighter for women.

“Linda McMahon has been spending millions of dollars portraying herself as a woman who should be a role model for other women, meanwhile she’s profited millions of dollars from degrading women and selling sex and violence to our children,” said Kozin.

Today, Team Murphy launched its newest coalition - Students for Murphy - on Yale's Campus in New Haven. Well over 50 students joined Chris in launching the group - and we're excited to have them on the Team.

We're really excited to launch this group. First, it recognizes Chris's strong record of fighting for the issues that students care the most about - everything from student loans and health care to LGBT rights and women's equality.

"My job is to stick up for everybody. But if I'm not standing up for students, as someone who is paying back my student loans today, or if I'm not standing up for young families, as the parent of a 4 year old and a 10 month old, then who is? Our mission as a nation and our mission as a state has to be getting more kids more quickly through college with skills that matter for this economy, and then making life more affordable in your twenties and thirties, so you can immediately start putting money back into the economy, rather than just paying back your bills," Chris said at the launch event.

You can sign up to join Students for Murphy at www.ChrisMurphy.com/students (and download a Facebook banner to show your school spirit as well as your support for Chris!).

Last week, we got a call from Marilyn, one of our supporters in Fairfield. She was sick of Linda McMahon's negative ads, and had come up with what we thought was an absolutely brilliant way to fight back - every time she sees one of McMahon's ads, she's putting a quarter in a jar. At the end of every week, she'll be donating that money to the Murphy campaign.

Needless to say, we fell in love with the idea and made a video to help share Marilyn's plan. We know McMahon will outspend us by a huge margin with her millions, but with people like Marilyn, we know we've built the strongest grassroots organization in Connecticut's history.

And we couldn't have said it better than Marilyn did: "We won't get to $50 million, but with all the ads she's running...maybe we'll get close!"

A Team Murphy Victory Jar is a great and easy way to get involved with Team Murphy and help ensure that McMahon doesn't have the airwaves to herself.

This morning, Chris joined a group of veterans and their families at Bradley Point Park in West Haven to announce the launch of Veterans and Military Families for Murphy.

Chris believes that no veteran should go a night without a bed or a day without the best possible medical care. Whether it's championing legislation or working one-on-one with veterans, Chris has made it one of his top priorities to honor our commitment to those who sacrificed to protect our country.

Chris has been a tireless leader in expanding access to educational and job training opportunities for veterans, ensuring that veterans have access to the medical care they need, and fighting to protect the memorials of the men and women who gave their lives to protect our country.

"I am so honored to have the support of these men and women in our campaign," Chris said. "Fighting for our veterans is one of the most important parts off my job. I’ll never forget a soldier I met who was being treated for his wounds who said to me, 'don't forget about us when you get back to the United States.' I never will, and I’m proud to serve the people who have served our country. Our Veterans and Military Families group is already growing rapidly and I look forward to carrying their message all across Connecticut. Linda McMahon’s so-called ‘jobs plan’ would actually gut critical funding that veterans rely on. If I have the honor of becoming Connecticut's next U.S. Senator I will continue to be an active, vocal and passionate voice for veterans."

]]>2012-08-31T20:16:17+00:00Intern with Team Murphy!http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/intern-with-team-murphy1/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/intern-with-team-murphy1/As we go into the fall campaign, we are in need of more interns to volunteer their time to help elect Chris Murphy the next Senator from Connecticut!

We'll need interns to help with everything from field organization to communications to finance. Your help is crucial -- it's no exaggeration to say that our interns provide the foundation for all of the work we're able to do in building the biggest grassroots organization in Connecticut's history.

But just as importantly, these internships are a great opportunity for students and recent grads to get valuable experiences working on campaigns. All of the departments have very hands-on internship positions - our interns will do everything from helping plan fundraising events to getting out the vote in November.

But you don't have to take our word for it -- check out this video from Andrew, one of our summer interns, on why he volunteered for Team Murphy.

We are accepting applications for both part-time and full-time positions in all of our field offices (Rocky Hill, New London, New Haven, Bridgeport, and Waterbury). You can apply here: www.ChrisMurphy.com/Interns.

Last night, Chris held a jobs town hall. It was a great chance for him to answer questions from voters and talk about his plans to help grow jobs here in Connecticut - and we had a packed house of people who wanted to talk about the most pressing issue in this election.

Unfortunately, this wasn't just supposed to be a town hall - it was supposed to be a debate between Chris and Linda McMahon so voters could have the chance to hear the real differences between the two candidates. A real debate, with no scripts, no flashy TV ads - what Connecticut voters need to make their choice in November.

It was disappointing that McMahon decided not to show up, but it just served to highlight another one of the differences between the two candidates. While Chris was ready and prepared to take any question about his economic plans, Linda refused to have a real conversation about how the jobs plan she bought gives herself a $7 million tax cut.

As Chris said: "It's disappointing that Linda McMahon decided not to show up. Because, as you just saw, it's not that hard. Standing up and defending your economic ideas is not that hard, when you have the right ideas."

]]>2012-08-22T18:05:48+00:00Getting to Work in Wallingfordhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/getting-to-work-in-wallingford/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/getting-to-work-in-wallingford/

To kick off the General Election campaign, Chris continued his Getting to Work tour at Proton OnSite in Wallingford, a global leader in hydrogen energy and gas alternative solutions. Proton OnSite is putting people to work in Connecticut developing new technologies that will make renewable energy a more viable alternative to fossil fuels.

Companies like Proton are a key part of Chris' plan to create jobs right here in Connecticut. In addition to creating manufacturing jobs that will put people back to work, Proton is a worthy recipient of federal grants -- they are working to develop new technologies that will make our environment, economy, and country more stable and secure. These grants are exactly the type of programs Chris will support as Senator -- and are exactly the type of support that will be slashed under McMahon's economic proposals.

As the general election campaign continues, Chris will continue his Getting to Work tour across the state to draw a comparison between what he will do to preserve and create jobs in Connecticut, and how that plan McMahon purchased from consultants in New York will harm our economy.

In winning yesterday's Democratic Primary by a 2-1 margin, Team Murphy proved that the positive grassroots organization we've built is ready to take on McMahon's millions. Together, we proved that we as a party are united with the momentum necessary to fight back against the attack machine McMahon will release in the fall.

And as Chris pointed out in his speech last night, over the next three months we're going to bring a choice to the people of Connecticut. On the one hand, you have Linda McMahon, who after making millions upon millions of dollars exposing kids to inappropriate material, has decided to try and buy a Senate seat so she can be a rubber stamp for the Romney/Ryan budget.

But Chris proposes a different vision for Connecticut, and for our country. He thinks that instead of padding the bottom lines of millionaires and billionaires, we should pad the bottom lines of the middle class. Instead of sending money overseas to oil companies that threaten our safety and pollute our environment, we should invest in wind and solar energy here in Connecticut to create thousands of jobs.

To bring that choice to the people of Connecticut, we have a lot of work to do. And I can't say it better than Chris did:

"So take a little bit of time off tomorrow, but tomorrow afternoon we're going to start a campaign over the next 85 days that is going to say to every person in this state, to every struggling family, to everyone who wants a voice in Washington that elections are not for sale in this state. That there is no substitute for hard work."

]]>2012-08-15T21:54:28+00:00Get Out the Vote!http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/get-out-the-vote/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/get-out-the-vote/

(If that doesn't get you fired up, I don't know what will!)

On Tuesday, August 14th, Democrats around the state will go to the polls to choose their nominee for the United States Senate. This is a critical moment for our campaign - we can't take for granted how much hard work it will take to ensure that Chris has the momentum to beat Linda McMahon and her millions in the fall.

And we can't do it without you. As Chris says, "If you were planning on volunteering for a couple of hours, do a couple of more."

It's game time for Team Murphy - but we know that the grassroots organization we've built during this campaign is the best Connecticut has ever seen. Sign up today to be a part of our statewide GOTV operation: www.chrismurphy.com/vote.

]]>2012-08-13T00:24:19+00:00Getting Out the Vote in the Brass Cityhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/getting-out-the-vote-in-the-brass-city/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/getting-out-the-vote-in-the-brass-city/

Chris spent the day today getting voters fired up in Waterbury, which is part of the district he represents in the House.

It's always great when we get to spend time talking to voters in the Fifth District. It seems like everybody knows Chris, and everyone - Democrat, Independent, or even Republican - knows and appreciates how hard he fights for the people of the district.

The day started at the Waterbury Farmers Market, and we crisscrossed the city, going from Drescher's Restaurant and the John Bale Book Company to the Village Green Community. Everywhere we went Chris was reminding voters how important it is that they come out and vote on August 14th - we've fought a tough race, and it's vitally important we have a strong showing before we face McMahon's millions in the fall.

]]>2012-08-09T22:08:18+00:00Sciences and Small Business Focus of Women for Murphy Roundtablehttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/sciences-and-small-business-focus-of-women-for-murphy-roundtable/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/sciences-and-small-business-focus-of-women-for-murphy-roundtable/Last night, Chris met with a small group of women in New London for his third roundtable discussion held by Women for Murphy. The conversation touched on a wide range of issues affecting women, including infrastructure, job creation, pay equity, education, and women's health.

In discussing education, the attendees specifically agreed that there is a need for more programs to encourage women to go into the sciences. Rosemary Palmieri from New Haven, a recent graduate of the Sound School, spoke about her experience as a woman interested in pursuing a career in science.

"The opportunities I received were actually outside of the classroom," Palmieri said. "I applied for an internship through my biotechnology class. In an effort to get more women involved in the sciences my bio teacher approached me about applying. I was one of 25 women in the country to be accepted, and now I am going to Dickinson in the fall and I plan to major in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. We need to encourage women to explore fields like engineering and biosciences in and out of the classroom because we're not tapping into the resources we have and that's hurting us as a country."

When discussing the state of the economy, Sheila Hayes from Norwich spoke about the difficulties that small businesses face.

"What does an entrepreneur need? They need to be able to have access to dollars, affordable health care...basic materials for owning your own business," said Hayes. "Having come from a family of entrepreneurs I know firsthand that we need help breaking through those barriers."

Murphy agreed. "There are enormous barriers to get businesses started. There are far too many bureaucratic obstacles to starting a small business that we need to streamline, which will not only help our small business owners but cut costs for the government."

]]>2012-08-09T13:44:55+00:00Green Jobshttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/green-jobs/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/green-jobs/Today, Chris made his seventh Jobs Tour stop at Phoenix Press in New Haven. Like with previous stops in his jobs tour, Chris spent his time at the company both talking to the management as well as spending time talking with - and working alongside - some of their employees.

Phoenix Press is based in New Haven - and has the distinction of being the home of the only wind turbine in New Haven. They're able to save more than $30,000 a year in utility costs - and they're therefore able to reinvest in their company, creating jobs in the region. Additionally, it helps ensure that their company has a much lower environmental impact on the city. Phoenix Press is, as Chris pointed out during his tour, a prime example of how investing in green energy can help create thousands of jobs nationally.

Afterwards, Chris received the endorsement of the Sierra Club. They noted that this isn't the first time they've endorsed Chris - they first supported him back during his first re-election campaign to the State House. In addition to speaking about the need for investments in renewable energy - both to protect our environment and create jobs - Chris talked about how it was environmental issues that first got him involved in politics.

"I remember being involved in an environmental organization, and we would go clean up rivers every weekend," he said. "And it got me thinking - why do we come out and clean these same places every weekend? Why don't we also work to make sure our leaders are working to protect our environment?"

You can check out some photos from the events - including of Chris getting to work at Phoenix Press - below:

This weekend, Team Murphy welcomed its newest member - Zach Wahls, LGBT activist and author of "My Two Moms." Zach came to the nation's attention when he delivered an incredibly moving speech before the Iowa State House against a proposed amendment limiting marriage to between one man and one woman. Since then, he's dedicated himself to not only changing the way we talk about gay rights - making it a conversation about respect instead of hate.

When he asked to come in to endorse Chris - we were thrilled. It was great to get to spend the afternoon with him, and hear his inspiring story. You can check out a video message from Zach above, and some pictures from the event with Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman and State Senator Beth Bye.

]]>2012-08-06T21:49:42+00:00Every Saturday is a Big Day for Team Murphyhttp://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/every-saturday-is-a-big-day-for-team-murphy/
http://www.chrismurphy.com/blog/entry/every-saturday-is-a-big-day-for-team-murphy/

Come rain or shine, Team Murphy never stops! Today, even as the rain came down, volunteers were out hitting the doors as Chris spent time meeting with voters in Waterbury, Morris, Simsbury, and Glastonbury.

It's always great to see Chris interact with voters at fairs and festivals - you can tell that he is really invested in what people are saying, whether it's at the Bantam Lake Outing or a DTC picnic in Simsbury (even while the storm was raging). But the best thing is getting to spend time with our volunteers. They have unsurpassed dedication and excitement - no matter where they are or what they're doing. An especially big shout out to the 86 volunteers who showed up to canvass in New Haven - they only stopped once the rain got too bad, and now they're hitting the phones! We couldn't do it without them.